Bottle-filling machine.



No. 654,0!6. Patented .IuIy I7, |900. S. C. MILLER.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

{Application led Dec. 1, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheeis-Sheet l.

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No. 654,0I6. Patented Iuly I7, |900. S. C. MILLER.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.'

(Application med'nec. 1, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2` (No Model.)

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'raras SAMUEL C. MILLER, OF LOUIS-VILLE, KENTUCKY.

BOTTLE-.FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ratent No. 654,016, dated July 17, 1906.

Application filed December 1, 1899. Serial No. 738,888. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Louisville,in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Filling Machines, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improved bottleiilling machines employing a vertically-movable liquid -holder, spaced illing-tubes depending therefrom to enter the necks of bottles placed beneath said tubes to receive liquid therethrough,and means to cut off the ow of liquid when the bottles are lled.

The object of my invention is to provide novel, simple, and conveniently-arranged details of construction in a machine of the character indicated whereby the liquid passing into one or more bottles is more accurately controlled than in machines of this character as heretofore constructed7 and a practical eficiently-operating machine is provided which is devoid of complicated parts, is readily operated by unskilled labor, is rapid in action, and which maybe manufactured at a moderate cost.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described,and defined in the appended claims. Y

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a partly-sectional frontreleva-v tion of the improved bottle-filling machine. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional side view of the same substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig.y 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of a liquid-holder and attachments thereto substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an'enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the same substantially on the line 4. el in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side elevation of a modified construction of one of the bottle-lilling tubes and of a peculiarly-formed bottle-neck wherein the tube is inserted, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan view of a portion of the machine-frame substantially on the line 6 6 in Fig. l.

In the drawings, '7 indicates theliquid-holding tank wherein is held the liquid which is to be bottled, said tank comprising an elongated nearly-rectangular receptacle having the lower portion contracted laterally, so as to direct the contents toward the transverse center thereof, and the upper portion covered by a sealed cap-piece 7a, secured thereto by bolts or equivalent means.

Upon the ends of the tank 7 are adj ustably secured two similar guide-bars 8, so as to depend therefrom in parallel planes, and said bars are rendered changeable in position by employing the securing-bolts a, which may be entered and held secured in pairs of spaced perforations b, formed in series in the upper portion of each guide-bar, which manner of connecting the guide-bars upon the ends of the tank permits the latter to be raised or lowered with regard to other parts of the machine. The guide-bars 8 are positioned opposit-ely and have a loose sliding engagement with undercut auges c, formed or secured on the vertical standards 9, which are opposite side members of a main supporting-frame 10,whereo'n are located the entire details of the machine, said frame being a substantiallyrectangular structure having four legs and sufficient height for the proper elevation of the working parts sustained thereon.

In the guideways d, oppositely formed upon the inner surfaces of the frame 10, a table 1l is held to slide in a horizontal plane longitudinally thereof, and on the lower side of the table at a suitable point a toothed rack 12 is formed or secured so as to extend lengthwise, the rack preferably being made equal in length with that of the table, as shown in Fig. 2.

On a transverse shaft 13, journaled in the frame-standards 9, a pinion 14 is secured and has meshed engagement with the rack 12, a hand-wheel 14a, secured upon an outwardlyextended end of the shaft 13, affording means for its rotation and the consequent sliding movement of the table l1, that by'manipulation of the hand-wheel may be moved toward v either end of the frame, as may be required. A transverse four-limbed brace-piece l5 is attached at its several ends, respectively, upon side portions of the main frame 10 to stiften said frame. Another cross-bar 16 is provided IOO having angle-braces 16, said cross-bar having its ends, as well as the ends of the angle-braces, secured upon the depending guide-bars 8. The connected guide-bars 8 and the tank 7, from which they depend, are held normally in elevated position on the standards of the frame l0 by the contractile force of one or more springs 17, that at their lower ends are attached to a treadle-lever 18 and at their upper ends to projections from the frame 10. The treadle-lever 18 is pivoted at one end upon the frame 10 and projects at the opposite end outward suiciently to receive foot-pressure, said leverhaving a series of spaced holes e formed therein intermediately of its ends to enable the adjustable connection therewith of the lower end of a link-bar 19 by means of a pi votbolt or the like, the upper end of said link- `bar having a like connection with the crossbar 16, the connection of the lower end of the link-bar with the treadle permitting the latter to receive adjustment for raising or lowering the free end thereof to facilitate the effecting of more or less depression of the tank 7, as may be desired.

It will be seen that a Ushaped guide-piece 2Q is secured upon a transverse lower member of the frame 10 and depends therefrom to loosely embrace the free end portion of the treadle-lever 18, a series of opposite perforations formed in each limb of the guide-piece 20 for the reception of a transverse pin 21 permitting the latter to be changed in position, and thus limit the downward movement of "the treadlc-lever to an exact point, which is very essential for the proper operation of the apparatus, as will be further explained. A buffer-spring g is held upon the frame 10 directly above the free portion of the treadlelever 18 and cushions the impact of said le ver `when foot-pressure is relaxed thereon, and the tension of the spring or springs 17, which have been expanded, serves to lift the lever into normal position.

A series of spaced filling-tubes 22 is located in the tank 7, said tubes being arranged in a straight row lengthwise of the tank in the same Vertical plane, and consequently crosswise of the table 1l, above which they are 5o held depending from the lower side of the tank. As the filling-tubes are of like form and construction, a description of one tube and its adjuncts will be sufficient for all of said tubes.

Referring to Fig. 3, wherein one of the filling-tubes 22 is sectionally represented, it will be seen that each tube comprises a straight pipe ofproper diameter and length, slightly contracted at its lowerend and having a sealing-cap h secured on or in the upper end thereof. An air-escape pipe 23 of small diameter is located in each tube 22 and is bent lat-` erally at each end, preferably in the same direct-ion, these bent ends t" 2 being respectively secured in perforations in the side of the tube 22, near the upper and lower end of the same. A cup-like recess or depression 7b is formed in the cap-piece 7 to receive the upper end of each filling-tube 22, that is upwardly inserted therein through an orifice at the center of said cup; and a sealing-cover 7 c is secured over each cup, preferably having dome shape, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper end of the filling-tube 22 projects through a perforation in the bottom wall of a respective depression 7b a sucient distance to locate the open end of the air-escape pipe 23 at all times within said depression, and a plurality of openings fi', formed in this bottom wall at the side of the centrally-located filling-tube, serve to connect the depression 7b with the upper portion of the tank 7. at the lower end of the air-pipe 23,` being above the outlet of the filling-tube, prevents the air from catching up the liquid and clogging said pipe. By arranging the air-escape pipe 23 in the filling-tube 22 with its ends opening out through the sides of the tube, near the ends thereof, provision is made for clearing said pipe of liquid, and thereby preventing the slow dripping of the liquid therefrom, as hereinafter more fully described. The lower bent end of the air-escape pipe 23 is inserted through or into a perforation laterally formed in the side wall of the fillingtube 22, near the lower end of the latter, and thus provides an air-inlet 2 for the lower end of the pipe 23. A stuing-box 7d is secured in the narrow lower wall of the tank 7 Vin the same vertical plane with the center of each depression 7 b, and the filling tube which passes up into each depression 7b extends down through the stuffing-box, and it will be seen that the support thus aiorded to each filling-tube 22 adapts it to slide vertically and be prevented from lateral displacement. A collar k is secured upon each filling-tube 22 at a suitable point below the bottom wall of the depression 7b, occupied by its upper end portion, and between said collar and the bottom wall of the depression 7b a coiled spring 2-1 is placed upon the filling-tube.

At a proper distance below the collar 7c in each filling-tube 22 one or more inlet-orifices m are formed in the side thereof, and, in the upper side of the stufiugbox 7Cx an annular depression fm is formed that encircles the tube 22 at the orifice named. Directly above the inlet-orifice m a sealing-valve nis affixed upon each filling-tube 22, and the valves may be formed of any suitable material which will eect an air and liquid tight closure of the inlet-orifice m when thel tubes'are lowered by pressure of the springs 24C, which effect the seating of the valves n in the annular channels or depressions fm', this being the normal position of the valve, although the valve 'n (shown in Fig. 3) is represented as raised from the seat m', which is done for clearness in illustrating the details of the device. The lower end of each filling-tube 22 is preferably tapered somewhat to facilitate its insertion within the open top of a bottle-neck,

The air-inlet 1? IOO IIO

and the discharge-opening 0 at this end of each filling-tube is contracted or of less diameter than the interior diameter of the tube, which will prevent dribble of liquid held in suspension in a filling-tube by partial vacuum formed in its upper portion when the valve n is closed after the liquid in proper quantity has been passed down from the tank 7 through one or more of the filling-tubes 22. An adjustable sleeve 25 is movably held on each llingtube 22 at a proper distance from the lower end thereof by a nut p, that screws I upon the tapered and threaded body of the sleeve, which may be slotted from the smaller end longitudinally, as indicated in Fig. 3, so as to permit a slight compression of the sleeve to be effected by an adjustment of the nut. A headed enlargement is formed on the lower end of each sleeve 25, and this enlargement is rendered convex on the lower surface, as shown at r in Fig. 3. One or more elastic disks 26 are slipped upon the tube 22 below the sleeve 25, and by constriction of the material thereof the disk or disks are held from displacement, and it will be seen that when the filling-tube 22 is introduced within a bottle-neck the disk 26 will effect a tight joint between the tube and bottle-neck, thus preventing any escape of liquid from the latter.

By projecting the lilling-tubes 22 up through the bottom of the depression 7b the tubes will have guided movement at each end, thus firmly holding the tubes so that their lower ends will be in perfect line and spaced the proper distance apart to insure them entering the bottles. lt also prevents likelihood of the tubes being bent and insures the easy working thereof.

The provision for adjustment of the upper ends of the guide-bars 8 on the ends of the tank 7 affords means for raising or lowering the lower ends of the iillingtubes with regard to the plane of the table ll, and thus compensates for the different heights of bottles placed thereon, which will enable the insertion of the lower ends of said lling-tubes a proper distance into the necks of low bottles or high ones.

In Fig. 4: is shown an enlarged sectional elevation of the novel filling device provided for the supply of liquid in graduated quantity automatically to the tank 7 when the bottlc-filling apparatus is in service, said device being therein shown in closed condition and consisting of the following details: A supplypipe 27, having a valve-chamber 27a therein, is secured upon the lower wall of the tank 7, over an opening therein, thus disposing the valve-chamber directly beneath the center of the tank, said supply-pipe, which is shown broken away, being in complete form of a length to connect with a source of liquid-supply under pressure sufficient to insure the liquid freely entering the tank when unobstructed in its passage thereto. A preferably cylindric valve 28 is held to slide vertically in the valve-chamber 27 and engage two peripheral seats s thereon with annular seats s, provided within the chamber 27a, one above the inlet-passage 27h, that connects the pipe 27 with the valve-chamber, and the other below said passage.

In the perforated transverse head-wall 28, formed or secured in the elongated cylindric body of the valve 28, near its upper end, the lower end of a valve-stem 29 is secured by threaded engagement or otherwise, as may be preferred. The upper end of the valvestem 29 passes through a perforation in a guide-bar 70, that is transversely disposed in the upper portion of the tank 7 and secured thereto at its ends, whereby the stem is guided to reciprocate freely in a vertical plane.

At a point which determines the height of the liquid introduced within the tank 7 a float 30, of any preferred material, is held on the stem 29 by collars u u or other means. It will he evident that upon the introduction of liquid into the tank through the valve-chamber 27, while the valve 28 is depressed by its weight and .that of the valve-stem, the liquid A will continue to rise in the tank until the oat 30 is lifted, and thus cause the valve to rise in the chamber far enough to engage its seats s with the seats s', which will cut ofll the supply of liquid into the tank until the iioat is slightly lowered by the removal of liquid from the tank.

A small plug-valve 3l is secured in va perforation in the lower wall of the valve-chamber 27 and is normally closed, but may be opened when the device is put out of service for the drainage of liquid that is confined in the valve-chamber 27a.

It is found in practice that if a proper supply for the tank 7 is maintained the removal of liquid therefrom will be constantly compensated for and the'operation of filling bottles may be continued for an indefinite period of time.

' Assuming that a supply of liquid to be bottled is free to pass into the tank 7 and has attained a proper height therein, the operation is essentially as follows: A tray 32, containing bottles B, arranged at spaced distances apart thereon, is placed upon the table ll, these bottles having such relative positions as will locate each one directly below one of the filling-tubes 22. The foot-lever or treadle 1S is now depressed, and this will correspondingly move the tank 7 downwardly, which will enter each tube 22 within the neck of a bottleB. The downward movement is continued until the disks 26 are seated upon the upper edges of the bottle-necks with sufficient pressure to insure tight joints between the tubes 22 and bottle-necks. As the tank continues to descend the springs 24 will be compressed and the valves n unseated, as the tubes 22 will move upward when they can no longer descend into the bottle-necks. Liquid will now pass down the tubes 2 2 into the bottles B, while air previously contained therein passes up through the air-escape pipe 23 into IOO IIO

the depression 7b, and thence through the perforations in the bottoms of said depressions into the upper portion of the tank 7. The filling operation will continue until the rising of the liquid into the necks of the bottles covers the open lower ends of the air-escape pipes 23, which will arrest the discharge of the liquid from the filling-tubes, and this will occur at a point in the bottles depending on the previous adjustment of the sleeve 25 and farenongh below the upper edges of the necks to permit the introduction of the corks therein.` The treadle-lever 18 is now permitted to rise gently, which will relax compression of the coiled springs 24 and permit the expansion of said springs to seat the valvesn upon the annular seats fm', thus closing the orifices m andsealing the tubes 22, so that pressure of the liquid in the tank 7 will be cut off therefrom and at the same time permitting the tank 7 to rise under stress .ofV the spring or springs 17, which will unseat the disks 26. Assoon as the disks 26 have been unseated from the necks of the bottles and while the filling-tubes are still in the necks of the bottles the upward movement of the filling-tubes is temporarily checked, when the air in the tank 7 will rush through the air-pipes23 and force the liquid that has entered the said pipes out into the bottle-necks, thereby eectually clearing the pipes of liquid and preventing the slow dripping of the liquid therefrom, thus insuring a saving of material and promoting cleanliness. The liquid having been expelled fromV the air-pipes, the filling-tubes are completely removed from the bottles by a full elevation of the tank 7.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of the lower ends of the filling-tubes 22`to adapt them for proper entrance within the necks of bottles having extremely-small openings. Some bottles havenecks, such as B', that contract in their bores toward their lower ends to very small diameter, where they merge into the bodies of the bottles. To adapt the lilling-tubes for their introduction within such bottle-necks to a proper depth, a nozzle is provided that projects from the lower end of the tube 22. The nozzle for each filling-tube consists o f a tapered tube-section 22 of a length that will permit it to pass down in the bottle-neck, such as B', and extend belowthe neck into the bottle-body a short distance, as indicated iu Fig. 5. An air-escape pipe 23 is provided for each tube 22 and nozzle 22, ar-

ranged within said tubular parts, as already j `tion with a horizontally-movableV bottle-support, of a vertically-slidable filling-tank above the support, a series of sliding and spring- `pressedA filling-tubes having their lower ends projecting out through the bottom of the tank described with regard to the filling-tubes used for theordinary bottle-necks B, and the lower end of each air-escape pipe is axed in the side Wall of the tapered nozzle near thelower end thereof. In this construction the nozzle 22a is introduced at its upper end a short distance within the Vlower end of the filling-tube, and the upper end of the nozzle is,l thickened to increase its external diameter, thereby affording asuitable offset or shoulder vat the lower end of the llingtube, whereon the washers or disks 26 may have seated engagement, and thus be adapted to seal the joint between the upper edge of the bottle-neck B' and the side wall of the nozzle 22, the operation of illing the bottles being the same as has already been described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. ln a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a bottle-support, of a verticallyslidable filling-tank above the support, sliding and spring-pressed filling-tubes having their lower ends projecting out through the bottom of the tank and their upper ends extending into the upper part of the tank and means in the upperpart of the tank for supporting and Vguiding the upper ends of the tubes, said tubes each being provided with an inlet-opening which is normally below the inner surface ot' the bottom of the tank, substantially as described. Y

2. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a bottle-support, of a `verticallyslidable filling-tank above the support, sliding and spring-pressed filling-tubes having their lower ends projecting out through the bottom of the tank and their upper ends extending into the upper part of the tank and having guided movement therein,.each of the tubes being providedwith an inlet-opening which is normally below the inner surface of the bottom of the tank, and an air-vent pipe in each filling-tube, said vent-pipe opening `out through the filling-tube near the upper and lower ends thereof, substantially as described.

3. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a bottle-support, of a verticallyslidable tank above the support, having openings in its bottom and annular recesses around `said openings, sliding and spring pressed Vfilling-tubes having their lower ends projecting through the openings in the bottom of the `tank and their upper ends extending into the upper part of the tank and having guided movement therein, each tube being provided with an inletopening and with a valve above said inlet-opening adapted to be seated` in the `recess of the bottom of the tank, and an airvent pipe in each filling-tube, said air-vent pipe opening out through the filling-tube near the upper and lower ends thereof, substantially as described.

4. In a bottle-iilling machine, the combinaf the inlet-opening, and an air-vent pipe in each IIO llingtube, said vent pipe opening out through the tube near the upper and lower ends thereof, substantially as described.

5. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination of a tank, a spring-actuated support for the tank, a frame whereon the support is adapted to reciprocate, means to depress the tank by toot-pressure, a series of spaced tilling-tubes depending through the tank and held to slide therein at the upper and lower sides of said tank, and each having a contracted escape-aperture in its lower end, a sealing-cap at the upper end of each tube, an inlet-orice in each iilling-tube located near the inner surface of the bottom wall of the tank, an annular valve ou each tube adapted to close the inlet-orifice therein when the tube is depressed,a spring on each tube pressing the tube and the valve thereon downwardly, and an air-escape pipe extending interiorly from near the lower end of each lling-tube to near the top thereof and tapping the side ot' said tube, the air-inlet for the lower end of the pipe being above the outlet of the filling-tube.

6. In a bottle-lling machine, the tank-till ing device, comprising the liquid-supply pipe, the valve-chamber on one end of said supplypipe coveringan opening in the tank, the cylindrical hollow valve therein, having two circumferential valve-seats thereon, the valverod extended from the top of the valve up loosely through a guide-bar, and the lioat held on the valve-rod within the tank.

7, In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a tank provided with a cup-like depression in its cover, having communication with the tank, ot' a sliding and spring-pressed filling-tube having its lower end projecting through the bottom of the tank and its upper end projecting into the cup-like depression of the tank, and an air-vent pipe in the filling-tube and having its upper end opening out through the tube in the cup-like depression and its lower end opening out through the pipe near the lower end thereof, substantially as described.

8. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a'tank provided with a cup-like depression in its cover, communicating with the tank, of a filling-tube having its upper end projecting through the bottom of the said depression and its lower end projecting out through the bottom of the tank, and a spring surrounding the tube between the bottom of the said depression and a collar onsaid tube, substantially as described.

9. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a tank having a cup-like depression in its cover, communicating with the tank, and provided with an opening in its bottom, and an annular recess around said opening, o't a filling-tube having its upper end projecting into the cup-like depression and its lower end projecting out through the opening in the bottom of the tank, said tube being provided with an inlet-opening and with a valve above said opening, and a spring surrounding the filling-tube between the bottom of the depression and a collar on the tube, substantially as described.

10. A bottle-filling machine, comprising a supporting frame, a horizontally movable bottle-support mounted in the frame, a ver tically-slidable filling-tank mounted in the frame above the support, a iioat-valve for automatically controlling the supply of liquid to the tank, a series of sliding and springpressed filling-tubes having their upper ends extending into the upper part of the tank above the level of the liquid, and their lower ends projecting out through the bottom of the tank, and air-vent pipes in the llingtubes and opening out through the same near the ends thereof, substantially as described.

ll. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with a tank, and filling-tubes having their upper ends projecting up into the upper part of the tank, and their lower ends projecting out through the bottom of the tank, of an air-vent pipe for each tube, said pipes being arranged in the tubes and having their end opening out through the side of the tube near the upper and lower ends thereof, sub stantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specitication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL C. MILLER.

Witnesses:

. JOHN J. STINE,

W. D. WINsToN. 

